MLS set to receive $10M for extension of Beckham loan

[Warlord]

MLS Gets $10 Million for Beckham Loan

Posted Apr 24, 2009 10:37AM By Michael Cardillo (RSS feed)
Filed Under: European Soccer , MLS, English Premier League, Soccer , Serie A (Italy)

Mercifully it's been a couple weeks since a David Beckham-related post. The erstwhile Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder is in the news on a couple fronts Friday.

First off, on Thursday it was reported that AC Milan has agreed to pay $10 million to MLS for extending Beckham's loan to the end of the Serie A season. Where exactly that cash comes from, well, that's up in the air though it seems Beckham himself might end up coughing up some of the cash.

The money isn't likely that huge a deal for Beckham or Milan, but it's a good thing for MLS. The league didn't want to come off like a pushover in the Beckham affair and in the end they played hardball and got a fair deal. Will foreign clubs think twice before trying to poach MLS players on lowball offers in the future? Probably not, but at least MLS now has some precedent to point toward.

Friday's other Beckham related nugget is more of a rumor that's picked up some steam in recent days. Namely, there are reports out of England that Tottenham may try to sign Beckham for some part of the 2009-10 season.

This deal would obviously strengthen Beckham's chance of making the England team for the 2010 World Cup, yet all signs point toward him ending up back at AC Milan once his brief return to MLS from July through November ends, assuming he buys out his contract with the league.

[Zeppo]

Garber rankles Yankees, stands up to AC Milan

Garber rankles Yankees, stands up to AC Milan

by Ridge Mahoney, Monday, Apr 27, 2009 11:00 AM ET

You've got to give MLS commissioner Don Garber some props: not many executives of a niche league can rankle or stand up to uber-organizations like AC Milan and the New York Yankees.

In the first case, Garber and AEG president Tim Leiweke extracted far more money out of Milan and David Beckham than either wanted to pay for his extended loan, and perhaps, permanent move. Last week, Garber set the figure at $10 million, without specifying the sources or the mechanisms of said payment. Milan has supposedly paid about $4 million to extend the loan and accepted a smaller percentage of revenues this year's exhibition tour as well, but that won't add up to $10 million, so somebody has to pay up.

Since the terms of Beckham's contract were changed to force a buyout of his MLS deal in October rather than an opt-out clause that previously existed, the renegotiated arrangement tilts control of Beckham's rights away from him and to MLS. If he doesn't buy out his contact to cut a new deal with Milan or another club, MLS retains his rights, and can do what it wants with him.

"We asked for $10 million, we got our $10 million," said Garber to the BBC. "We don't know where it's coming from, either. He can't get paid from Milan. Milan could pay us. He could pay them."

All of those scenarios are possible, but more on them later. Garber also riled up the Yankees a few days ago by simply stating the obvious, without any particular malice, about how tough economic times are trimming attendances at sporting events across the board. Hardly headline stuff, but in making his comments Garber chose, figuratively, to tug on Superman's cape.

Garber spoke to the sports editors of the Associated Press Thursday in New York and noted the empty seats at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, the new home for the Mets, since the baseball season began. "It's incomprehensible that you watch a game, and there will be front-row seats empty," Garber said.

Yes, the Yanks are sensitive to opening an opulent facility in tough economic times and falling far short of filling it. Still, team president Randy Levine's riposte was personal as well as pointed. "Don Garber discussing Yankee attendance must be a joke," Levine said to AP. "We draw more people in a year than his entire league does in a year. If he ever gets Major League Soccer into the same time zone as the Yankees, we might take him seriously."

And then: "Hey Don, worry about Beckham, not the Yankees. Even he wants out of your league."

Mee-oww!

Garber clarified his remarks thusly: "When I mentioned the New York Yankees yesterday , my comments were part of a larger assertion that all businesses - even the most successful sports entities - are experiencing some impact from the economic downturn.

"The Yankees are one of the world's strongest sports brands and the context of my comments about a few empty seats at Yankee Stadium was to illustrate the economic challenges we are all facing."

Levine did have his figures correct. MLS attendances last year totaled 3.46 million. The Yankees drew 4.3 million in the last season at the old Yankee Stadium. Both entities will struggle to match those numbers this year, especially with Beckham - a powerful draw at the gate regardless of his play - missing nearly two-thirds of the league games.

In fighting for control of a very valuable asset, MLS demonstrated once again that despite its limitations and flaws, it intends to succeed as a business, domestically and internationally, as well as a sports league. It has also showed some admirable fortitude by not knuckling under to Beckham and Milan.

"The international soccer community continues to underestimate the resolve of Major League Soccer," said Garber in an interview last month. "That's OK, because going under the radar was a good strategy and in many ways we'll stay with that strategy.

"We very much believe that David made a commitment and we were going to hold him to that commitment, just like we did Shalrie Joseph and Taylor Twellman and some of the other players. As a contracted MLS player, David is really no different in that."

Of course, Beckham is light years from those players or any others the league has employed, and cutting his own deal to join Milan tainted the league's image. But now, he has to buy his way out, and will he be so eager to do so in case Milan doesn't want to reimburse him for the buyout and may not be so eager to sign him next winter? Usually, when a player buys out his contract he has a suitor waiting to pay him back as a condition of his new deal.

"I can understand how he feels, how his game has resurged to want to stay in Milan," said Garber. "He wants to set a number of records with the English national team and I respect that, and if I had to make the decision again today I'd do it again. But these things happen in the sports business and you have to adapt to changing situations.

"We've stuck to our guns and I believe we've got a resolution that is good for the league, and I believe it's very good for David Beckham. It was a good resolution of a difficult situation."

And it was good business.

[Mosiah]

The MLS needs to rid itself quickly of Beckham. He has been nothing but an embarrassment to the league, by his actions and his words. Yes, they must insist on a good payoff from AC Milan, but if it tekking too long, just cut the ties and let him go! The MLS would be a big cat if it allows Beckham back in the league!

[Assasin]

Plus Becks might not be willing to devalue his stocks right now.

Can you believe LA is better for the transfer of one time RUCKS, Donovan Ricketts? biggest thing in the league, maybe Milan want him too .